Doorlatch



NOV. 5, 1935. s, MARCHESAND 2,020,035

DOORLATCH Filed March l5, 1934 WITNESSES: IN VEN TOR:

l Louis S.Mc1rchesand A TTORN E Y Patented Nov. 5, 1,935

, UNITED STATES PATENT vori-rcs Doonm'rcn 'I'his invention relates to door latches, and has for an object to provide a door latch especially, though not exclusively, intended as a latch for doors of motor vehicles, and to present new and improved features vof construction and appearance.

It is well-known. that the present trend of body construction for automotive vehicles is "stream lining and that it seems desirable to remove m from the exterior of the body'anyl and all obstructions.

The present ,invention is directed to a door latch which eliminates. the usual knobs and handles, and provides a manual operating means u which is flush with the exterior of the body,

forming a part of such exterior surface. A further object of the invention is to provide a section corresponding to the plane or contours of the body, which said section is hinged relative Q to the body and adapted to be manually swung upon its hinge temporarily for the purpose of actuating the latch, automatically returning to its Vnormal flush position.

A further object of the invention iste provide g5 in` combination with such flush section, means for translating the movement of such flush section into latch-bolt retracting stress.

'I'he invention, therefore, comprises in combination with a door having a horizontally slidable latch bolt. oi' a body section, with means for normally holding such body section yielding in ilusl relation with the body, and adapted to be manually swung upon a fulcrum to an angular position, with means within the structure ofthe door for translating such swinging action of the section into stress exerted upon the latch bolt y tnretract the latch bolt against a resilient re- -"-,sistancc. Ihe invention further includes the provision vof means within the door structure, comprising a foot pedal which will likewise operate the latch bolt.

The drawing illustrates an embodiment of the invention and the views therein are as follows:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly broken away of a conventional automotive door, with the invention applied thereto, in itself partly broken away to show underlying parts Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a View of the interior of the door, showing the foot pedal, and

Figure 4 is a plan view of the latch bolt. Like characters of reference indicate correspending parts throughout the several views.4

There is shown in the drawing at I0 a conventional automotive vehicle door. The present invention is designed to be attached to doors of various types and shapes and the showing of the door I0 is not to be considered as any limitation 5 upon the'invention. This door Ill-includes inner and outer side parts and a sliding glass panel II is also'shown as slidably mounted between these side parts.

Slidable horizontal within the interior of the 10 door structure on the inner side part is a latch bolt I2 which is preferably integral with or rigidly connected to the latch I3. This is mounted to slide in any approved mechanical manner, as by the use of guides I4. A spring I5 is connected 15 with one of the guides I4 andl to a pinl6 rigidly associated with the bolt I2. While this type of resilient structure is found to be appropriate to the present invention, the invention includes any resilient means whichmay tend to hold the 20 latch bolt I2 in latching position.

For the purpose of retracting the latch bolt I2 against the tension of the spring I5, a bar I1 is provided having a wedge member IB passing through a slot I9 in the bolt. Preferably, though 25 not necessarily, a roller 20 is provided in this slot against which the wedge member I8 engages. The bar I 'l is mounted to slide vertically, by any approved mechanical means, as the guide 2i. At its'lower end the bar Il is fulcrumed upon a pin 30 22, which is carried by an arm 23 rigidly connected with the fulcrum shaft 2t.

The arm 23 is within the door structure, and the shaft 24 extends through the inner wall of the door and is provided upon the side forming the interior of thebody with a lever 25 and foot pedal part 26. When the foot pedal is depressed, the arm 23 raises the bar Il to move the wedge member I8 against the roller 20 and to move the latch boltV I2 to dotted line position, as shown at o Figure-l, whereby the latch I3 is retracted from latching position.

Also, to actuate the bar Il and, consequently, the latch, another bar 2l is mounted upon the pin 22 by means of a slot 21. This bar 2l ism spaced away from the bar il to permit the glass I I to assume the position II', as shown at Figure 2. The bar 2l at its upper end is pivoted,

as at 28 to an arm 29 'carried by a platen-30. This plate 30 is fulcrumed at 3l on the outer side 50 part and is adapted to be swung manually from the full line position shown at Figures 1 and 2 to the dotted line position shown in Figure 2, whereby the bar 2l is raised to raise the bar I 'l as above disclosed. u

.and the plate itself is iiush with the exterior of the door i0. A lock $3 may, if desired, be applied but is only indicated conventionally.

As shown at Figure 1, the latch I3 is in latching position and the same is true in full lines at Figure 2. When the door is to be opened, the iingers of .the user are placed in the depression 34 and the plate 30 drawn outwardly to the position 3U', as shown in dotted lines. This. as disclosed, will raise the bar 21 and the bar I1 to actuate the latch Il.

It will thus be seen that every part of this device, which is visible from the exterior oi the body, will be flush and in alignment with other parts of the body, and will oiler no obstruction to the stream lining" eect and will also present no handles, knobs or other devices upon the exterior of the body to catch clothing or other objects.

Of course, the door latch herein described may be modified and changed in various ways without departing from the invention herein set forth and hereinafter claimed. l

1. In an automotive vehicle door including inner and outer side parts and a glass panel slidably mounted therebetween, a latch bar operatively mounted on the inner side part, means on the inner side part for causing movement of the latch, meansaccessible from the outside for causing operative movement of the latch, said last mentioned means comprising a plate pivotally mounted at its lower edge and substantially flush with the outer surface of the outer side part and having the top edge in substantial align- 5 ment with the top edge of the outer side part, and operating connections from said plate to the latch on the inner side part, said connections extending downwardly to the lowermost limits of the door and upwardly to the latch bar, where- 10 by slidingmovement of the glass panel between Y the inner and outer side parts is accommodated.

2. In an automotive vehicle door including` inner and outer side parts which are spaced apart and a sliding panel movable therebetween, a latch 15 bar slidably mounted on the inner side part in a horizontal position, an operating bar for the latch bar, being slidably mounted on the inner side part in a vertical position, cam means for causing movement of the horizontal bar incident to 20 movement of the vertical bar, an arm pivotally mounted on the inner side -part and connected to the lower end of the vertical bar. connecting bar adjacent to the outer side part and connected to the said arm by an odset operation, and a g5 plate pivotally mounted at its lower edge on the outer side part and operatively connected to the bar adjacent to the outer side part, said plate being substantially iiush with the outer surface of the outer side part.

LOUIS B. MARCHESAND. 

